[The Work Revolution] At the Company... There Is No 'My Seat'

After COVID-19... Work, Tasks, and Jobs Are Changing
SK Innovation Experiments with 'Office-Free'
NHN Allows Working from Anywhere Once a Week
The Real Reasons Behind Companies Introducing Partial Remote Work

On the 12th, employees are working at the smart office of SK Innovation Seorin Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy reporters Han Jinju and Lee Seungjin] "Oh, Manager Jeong, you’re here?"

On the afternoon of the 9th, at the SK Innovation Seorin building located in Jung-gu, Seoul, a junior employee greeted Manager Jeong Hee-cheol (pseudonym) warmly. SK Innovation employees have varying work locations and hours. On that day, Manager Jeong worked from home in the morning and came to the office in the afternoon. The place he arrived at was a music listening room surrounded by LP records and audio equipment.

Last April, SK Innovation transformed its workspace into a shared office format. Instead of a designated seating system by 'team-room-division,' employees sit wherever they want to work. The shared office is divided into a 'working zone' for workspaces and a 'public zone' for employee welfare and rest, including cafes, nap rooms, and music listening rooms. There are spaces ideal for concentration like a study room and open workspaces like a cafe. Manager Jeong came to the music listening room to work in a quiet environment with music. Other employees were working in their own ways as well, such as opening laptops in the cafeteria or standing while working in the working zone equipped with stands.

SK Innovation: "Where shall we work in the office today?"

SK Innovation is redefining the basic concept of workplace and work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the 18th of last month, they have been conducting a '1+3 test.' For one month, employees come to the office during the first week and work from anywhere, including home, for the remaining three weeks, called the 'office free period.'

The combination of SK Innovation’s shared office and the '1+3 test' is an innovation. It breaks away from the traditional work style where team members work in one space and transcends the conventional concept of the workplace by defining any place where work can be done as the company. There were concerns about this radical work experiment. Both inside and outside the company, worries about decreased work efficiency and lack of communication among employees were raised, but employees adapted quickly to the changed work environment, and side effects were hard to find. With increased autonomy comes responsibility. Employees record their daily work location, hours, and commute time in the company system. They also document most work-related matters, including their assigned tasks and daily progress.

Manager Jeong said that as the work environment changed, he began designing his own work and felt less stressed. He said, "Everyone has different ways of working and efficient environments, so it’s great that there are no restrictions on space or method. I can design and lead my work independently." He added, "Just knowing that we don’t have to gather in one place has made things more comfortable. The concept of the company as a place to work has become clearer."

On the 12th, employees are choosing their seats before starting work at the SK Innovation Seorin Building Smart Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

On the 12th, employees are working at the smart office of SK Innovation Seorin Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Kim Ji-hyeok (pseudonym), a 19-year veteran manager who enjoys socializing and company dinners, also expressed high satisfaction. Meeting him in the working zone, he was engaged in a lively conversation with another employee. Although from different departments, they became close after meeting in the shared office. This was partly thanks to the company guideline that prohibits working at the same seat for more than three days. Kim said, "In the past, you could only get close by working on projects together, but nowadays, working with different people from other departments every day naturally increases communication." He added, "Talking about other departments’ work often sparks fresh ideas."

SK Innovation plans to review the results of the new work method after four weeks and reflect them in work innovation measures. In August, at the 'Icheon Forum' chaired by SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, the results of the remote work experiment will be shared, and a decision will be made on whether to expand flexible work arrangements across affiliates.

Some SK Group employees started 'online company dinners' as remote work extended. Since employees come to the office on different days and at different locations, it became harder to meet face-to-face. Especially for employees living alone, eating alone ('honbap') became routine. Close colleagues would set up their meals in front of their laptops and chat while eating together. An SK Group official said, "Employees living alone often express feelings of loneliness," adding, "Besides physical changes in work style, we realized the need to consider social and emotional changes as well."

NHN: "Remote work was introduced not because employees liked it, but to help them work better"

On the 12th, an NHN HR support team employee is conducting a meeting with team members via video call at a cafe in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. / Seongnam - Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

On the 12th, an NHN HR support team employee is conducting a meeting with team members via video call at a cafe in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. / Seongnam - Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

"We didn’t introduce remote work because employees liked it. We created it to help them work better," said Baek Seung-wook, head of NHN’s HR team, explaining the reason behind the 'Wednesday Office' system. NHN employees in Pangyo, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, go to cafes, shared offices, or any place they want instead of the office every Wednesday. The 'Wednesday Office' system started in May. After conducting remote work three times a week, they transitioned to a normal work system but institutionalized partial remote work once a week.

Lee Seung-chan, NHN’s HR director, said, "I even bought a PC at home to work remotely every Wednesday. But when I came to the office, I felt employees were watching me. These days, employees joke that Monday blues hit on Thursdays." He explained, "Executives also like it because work speed has increased. There’s less time waiting for meetings or reporting. Sometimes they quickly confirm things by phone instead of emails or document writing."

NHN employees can work wherever and for as long as they want on the most tiring day of the week, Wednesday. Lee said, "We thought helping employees focus on work alone without meetings once a week would improve efficiency. Wednesday is said to be a day of high work efficiency. It also gives a sense of midweek check-in." Baek added, "When employees say they will work during the time saved from commuting, the company naturally gains trust."

Lee Seung-chan, Director of NHN Human Resources and General Affairs Support Office

NHN plans to maintain the 'Wednesday Office' system for the time being even after COVID-19 ends. Lee said, "If not now, we can’t test remote work. We plan to continue for about six months to find the right direction," adding, "Once-a-week remote work doesn’t interfere with meetings or work."

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought 'untact' (contactless) practices not only to remote work but to overall work. Employees who used to communicate via email or messenger now share work processes through collaboration tools, and employee training and recruitment briefings are conducted live. Baek said, "Remote work made interviews more convenient, so we actually conducted more interviews," adding, "One employee said it was much more comfortable to interview in a familiar environment, wearing just a shirt on top and shorts at home."

Employees in ICT companies?developers, planners, and staff alike?can work anywhere with just a laptop. The ICT industry has shorter average tenure compared to other sectors, and turnover is active. To prevent losing talented employees, companies must think harder. Baek said, "We always think about how to help employees work better," adding, "We want employees’ parents to like our company more than famous large corporations."

Employees with remote work experience: "Work runs smoothly even without formalities."

Employees at Lotte Group who experienced once-a-week remote work rated it '80 out of 100.' Jeong Kyung-ho (pseudonym), a 18-year veteran deputy manager at Lotte Holdings, said, "There used to be countless meetings and formalities for a single task, but after trying remote work, we realized work proceeded smoothly without those." He added, "It became clear what reduces work efficiency."

Remote work has now become the 'new normal.' Office workers accustomed to face-to-face meetings and reporting now conduct video conferences freely and exchange greetings online with office colleagues. Remote workers adapted quickly. Jeong explained, "When giving work instructions in the office through conversation, we often had to ask repeatedly, but delivering work via messenger became clearer and more concise."

Huh Jae-seok, a manager in SK Telecom’s exhibition planning team with 9 years of work experience, said, "After trying remote work, I wondered if I had been living like a 'latte' (a slang term referring to older generations reminiscing about the past). I was used to meeting and reviewing printed materials in meetings, but using collaboration tools felt more efficient."

Common opinions include satisfaction with spending more time with family and increased leisure time during remote work. However, as personal time increases, so does time spent on work. Huh said, "I experienced a life category I didn’t know before," but added, "Getting closer to family doesn’t mean doing less work. Since my workload remains the same, if I lack time during weekdays due to childcare, I often work more on weekends to catch up."

To make up for the missing 20 points, there are challenges to solve. Maintaining mutual trust between company and employees is important. Huh said, "Leaders must trust employees, and remote workers must manage themselves well to avoid complacency. If everyone makes an effort, the idea that remote workers don’t work will disappear."

It is also necessary to build consensus that remote work is equivalent to 'work.' Choi Doo-young (pseudonym), a deputy manager at Lotte Shopping, said, "There is still a culture in many places that doesn’t consider remote work at home as actual work," adding, "Remote work is official work but also involves personal space, which can conflict. Sometimes remote workers are asked to join video meetings at all hours, so a culture that respects privacy is needed."